Santa Anita going with Cushion Track
 

I have not seen any public announcement yet, but I did receive a response from Santa Anita's marketing dept., that they are going to install Cushion track.

wonderful

I have really liked the results that Hollywood has gotten with Cushion track. Polytrack has not been as good so far.

I wonder if a trampoline surface will be created when the trainers increase the levels of dope in their horses and breakdowns rise on synthetic surfaces?

Am I just too negative? :D

I expected they would go to cushion, it only makes sense with the postive reaction at Hollywood.

I do believe DelMar went with the poly however.

Way too early to pass judgement on it being fair. Horses can close on it and they can go wire to wire. I have the stats from the Hollywood meet and I can tell you it was spead pretty even on the running style for all distances. The trainers and horses still rave about it. Eastern horses like Kip Deville have made it home base because they like the result. Greg Gold wouldn't of ever got back to the races if it weren't for Cushion track. Bruce Headly will even come around and like it.

Only the future will tell.

Del Mar did go with Poly. Santa Anita had more to lose if they went with another track. Hollywood has been the rumor of closing for along time. Santa Anita made the right choice to use Cushion track.

The Hollywood races are very exciting. Why knock success ? Santa Anita did the right thing.

I think the races over Hollywood's Cushion surface have been fairly run races. Speed wins when speed should and closers win when the front runners have run too quick too early. IMO this is great news.

i also think they made the right choice with cushion track. To me it seems to make Hollywood park more fair now then with the old dirt track. I can't wait to see how the Tapeta surface will play when Golden Gate installs it after there current meet.

I heard it was a mandate by the state tha all CA tracks have a synthetic surface.

I don't think it is working out for Turfway or Woodbine.
Horses are getting terrible injuries from frozen clumps
and Woodbine is a cloud of debris
terrible
just terrible

we will probably find 10 yrs from now that poly track residue in the lungs causes a form of asbestosis or birth defecs.

What is a cusion track made of ?

Sumitas is Marty Collins cousin

I expect them to run on pillows soon enough. :D

Pillow

They are starting to measure a horses stride for an 8th of a mile in the mornings. Prorate that stride, then attach wings to them and program a computer to take the horse around the track. The horses feet will move, however they will never touch the surface. Sumitas thinks thats a great idea too, its really not that big a change for the players.

They did all winter at Gulfstream. :D

Cushion track has larger ground up rubber tire in it and less smaller parts of carpet fiber and wax that Polytrack has. Hence it has more bounce to it.

Whatever the stuff is, it's a lot better than the farce at Keeneland. Good choice.